What brings highest results?

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There was this great sage called Nârada. He was a great Yogi even among the gods. He travelled everywhere. 

One day he was passing through a forest and saw a man who had been meditating until the white ants had built a huge mound round his body — so long had he been sitting in that position.



He asked Narada, "Where are you going?" Narada replied, "I am going to meet God". The man continued "Then ask God when He will be merciful to me; when I shall attain freedom"

Further on Narada saw another man. He was jumping about, singing, dancing, and asked Narada, "Oh, Narada, where are you going?" His voice and his gestures were wild. Narada said, "I am going to meet God". He said, "Oh is it? Then, ask when I shall be free."


Narada went on. In the course of time Narada came again by the same road and there was this man who had been meditating with the ant-hill round him.

He : "Narada, did you ask the Lord about me? What did He say? " 

Narada : "Oh, yes. The Lord told me that you would attain salvation in four more births" 

Hearing this, the man began to weep and wail and said, "I have meditated all my life until an ant-hill has grown around me and I have four more births yet!"


Now Narada went to the other man. Other man asked "Did you ask my question?"

Narada : "Oh, yes. Do you see this tamarind tree? ". He nodded with excitement.

Narada continued, "I have to tell you that as many leaves as there are on that tree, so many times, you shall be born and then you shall attain freedom."

Hearing this the man began to dance with joy and said "Wow! I shall have freedom after such a short time!"

All of a sudden, a voice came "My child, you will have freedom this minute" and he became free forever.

This is the reward for his perseverance. He was ready to work through all those births, nothing discouraged him. But the first man felt that even four more births were too long. Only perseverance, like that of the man who was willing to wait aeons brings about the highest result

[Extracted from Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - Volume 1 / Raja Yoga / Chapter 8 : Raja-Yoga in brief]

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